Jazz breaking news: Countdown To The Cork Jazz Festival
Monday, October 24, 2011
Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Pee Wee Ellis (pictured), Bobby Watson, Soweto Kinch, Empirical, Jean-Luc Ponty, Richard Galliano, Tia Fuller and Ian Shaw are just ten of the many big names readying to appear at the Cork Jazz Festival in Ireland which begins on Friday.
Held over four very full days, Cork has a major international profile with thousands of visiting fans flocking to the city from all parts of Ireland, and many travelling from the UK and beyond.
The festival’s longstanding artistic traditions established over many years, and which last year featured headliner Herbie Hancock, continue with an extensive programme once again this year comprising a strong mix of established jazz artists and newcomers from Ireland, the UK, elsewhere in Europe, and the US.
The programme packed into a long bank holiday weekend includes at the Everyman Palace Theatre on MacCurtain Street Randy Brecker with Bill Evans’ Soulgrass in a double bill with the Kyle Eastwood Quintet (Saturday 29 October, 8.30pm); Tia Fuller Quartet plus Greg Osby and the Michael Janisch/Aruan Ortiz Quartet double bill (Sunday 30 October, 2pm); and the Jean-Luc Ponty Band and Richard Galliano La Strada Quintet (Sunday, 8.30pm) in another key double bill.
Other venue line-ups include Cork Opera House: the Harlem Gospel Choir (Saturday, 8pm); Amina (Sunday, 8pm); and Tim Minchin (Monday 31 October, 8pm).
Savoy Theatre, Patrick Street: Another Honest Jon’s Chop Up featuring Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Flea, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Fatoumata Diawara, Theo Parrish and more (Friday, 9pm); and the Grandmaster Flash and Pee Wee Ellis Funk Assembly double bill (Saturday, 9pm).
Triskel Christchurch on Tobin Street: Bobby Watson Allstars and Linley Hamilton Quartet double bill (Friday, 8pm); Trygve Seim and Frode Haltli, plus Jazz Crimes – The Music of Joshua Redman double bill (Saturday, 3pm); Stanley Jordan, and Ian Shaw Group featuring Peter Ind double bill (Saturday, 8pm); Marius Neset and Golden Xplosion plus Classical Cool – Jerry Creedon Ensemble double bill (Sunday, 8pm).
In the Triskel Auditorium, Tobin Street: Plug’d Jazz (Sat and Sun, 8pm); Tobin Street Palooka (Friday, 11pm); WOWOS New York Sextet (Saturday, 11pm); and ReDiviDer (Sunday, 11pm).
In the Cork School of Music, at Union Quay: Samba Rhythm Gym Workshop with Francesco Petreni (Friday, 11am); Double Bass Workshop with Duncan Hopkins (Friday, 11am); How A Jazz Group Works with The Bobby Watson All Stars (Friday, 2pm); Gospel Choir Workshop with Pete Churchill (Friday, 4pm); Piano Masterclass And Clinic With Bruce Barth (Sat, 11am); Jazz With Heart lecture by Peter Ind (Saturday, 2pm); Big Band Section Workshop (Saturday, 3pm); Singing Jazz With Truth Ian Shaw vocals masterclass (Saturday, 3pm); Drum Syncopation Workshop with Gene Calderazzo (Saturday, 4.15pm); and a Nato Jazz Orchestra and Cork School of Music Jazz Big Band double bill (Saturday, 8pm).
At the Firkin Crane in Shandon: Honor Heffernan and Leslie Dowdall (Sat, 8pm); Cotton Club with Ryan François and Jenny Thomas (Sun, 7.3opm).
In the Pavilion, Careys Lane: Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (Friday, 11pm); Rouge and Tuxedo Junction (Saturday, 1pm); Avatar and Brassroots (Saturday, 9pm); The Dan Clan (Sunday, 1pm); Ghostpoet plus MC Ophelia (Sunday, 8pm); Fish Go Deep (Sunday, 11pm). At Reardens, Washington Street: Blue Moose (Friday, 10pm); Souldriven (Saturday, 10pm) and Beat ’n’ Blow (Sunday, 10pm).
In the Gresham Metropole, MacCurtain Street: Festival club with four stages featuring bands including The Jive Aces, Blues Brothers Banned, The Committed, Anything Goes, Nato Jazz Orchestra, Papa Zitas, Swingin’ Bluecats, Beat’n’Blow, and The Aristocrats among others.
At Cyprus Avenue, Caroline Street: Kormac (Friday, 11pm); Whipping Boy and guests Dead School (Saturday, 8pm); Daft Funk and De_Maus (Saturday, 11pm); Kíla plus special guests (Sunday, 8pm); Dubpeche Mode (Sunday, 11pm); Tom Waits: The Early Years (Monday, 8pm); Hallo’ween Fancy Dress Monsters Ball (Monday, 11pm).
In the Old Oak, Oliver Plunkett Street: The Committed (Friday, 8pm and 11pm); The Incredibles (Saturday, 3pm); Shone (Saturday, 5pm); Blues Brothers Banned (Saturday, 8pm and 11pm); The Incredibles (Sunday, 3pm); Lebowski (Sunday, 5pm and 8pm); The Marvels (Sunday, 11pm); The Incredibles (Monday, 3pm); Oceans Eight (Monday, 5pm and 8pm); Pearly Whites (Monday, 11pm).
At An Bróg, Oliver Plunkett Street: The Swingin' Bluecats (Saturday, 3pm); The Pale (Saturday, 6pm); Pontius Pilate And The Nail Drivers (Sat, 8pm); Hot Blooded Animals plus DJ Val (Saturday, 10.15pm); Lady Gaga Tribute with Donna Marie (Sat, 9pm); DJ Jason Coughlan (lunchtime); Swingin’ Bluecats (Sunday, 3pm); Pontius Pilate And The Nail Drivers (Sunday, 6pm); Pavlov’s Dogs (Sunday, 8pm); Rulers Of The Planet (Sunday, 9.15pm); Hot Blooded Animals (Sunday, 10.30pm); Lady Gaga Tribute with Donna Marie (Sunday, 9pm).
In The Slate at the Bowery, Tuckey Street: Fred (Friday, 7pm); Frank and Walters (Saturday, 7pm); Jazz session (Sunday, 7pm).
At the Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street: Souldriven (Friday, 9pm); DJ (Friday, 11.30pm); Empirical (Sat, 3pm); Brian Hanlon and the London Jazz All Stars (Sat, 5pm); ReDiviDer (Sat, 7pm); DJ Fadd Jr (Sat, midnight); Rev Peyton’s Big Damn Band (Sun, 3pm); Mac Fleetwood (Sun, 5.30pm); Big Daddy Webster and Mark Russell (Sun, 8pm); Natty Wailer Band (Sun, 10pm) DJ Fadd Jr (Sun, midnight); Jazz improv (Mon, 4pm); Jawbone (Mon, 7pm) Skazz (Sun, 9pm); Pontius Pilate and the naildrivers Mon, midnight).
At the Bodega, Cornmarket Street Kings Go Forth (Fri, 8pm); The Hot 8 Brass Band (Fri, 10pm); DJ Fadd Jr (Fri midnight) Paul Dunlea Quartet (Sat, 4pm); Dave Duffy Trio (Sat, 6pm); The Hot 8 Brass Band (Sat, 8pm); Kings Go Forth (Sat, 10pm); DJ Sé-k (Sat, 11pm); Brian Hanlon and London Jazz Allstars (Sun, 4pm); Soweto Kinch Trio (Sun, pm); Kings Go Forth (Sun, 8pm); The Hot 8 Brass Band (Sun, 10pm); DJ Sé-k (Sun, midnight).
A special feature of the Cork jazz festival is the sponsors Guinness's own Music Trail with mostly free admission to hear many bands playing at dozens of venues (check festival brochure for details), including An Spailpín Fánach, South Main Street; The Bailey, Courthouse Street; The Grafton, Oliver Plunkett Street; the River Lee Hotel, Western Road and O’Driscoll’s in Douglas.
The festival fringe includes a jazz photography exhibition at the Triskel Link Galleries on Tobin Street, swing dance classes at the Firkin Crane in Shandon, an outdoor jazz stage at the Opera House Plaza on Emmet Place, and a jazz poetry feast at the Metropole Hotel.
– Stephen Graham
photo: Tim Dickeson
For ticket information and more go to guinnessjazzfestival.com
In the latest issue of Jazzwise turn to 'Brilliant Corners' for the story of the Metropole